Journey To LLL Leadership::
Moving Through The Application

You are sponsoring a Leader
Applicant. Congratulations! You and the Applicant have begun a journey
toward LLL leadership for the Applicant and co-leadership for you and
the Group.

But wait, what is happening?
Nothing? Is the Applicant too busy and not making time to read, work
on the Breastfeeding Resource Guide (BRG), attend meetings, and write
to her Associate/Coordinator of Leader Accreditation (A/CLA)? Are you
too busy and not making time to make and keep regular appointments with
the Applicant to go over the checklist items, practice telephone helping,
and answer her questions and concerns about leadership?

Why do applications slow
down? How do you regain lost momentum?

Commitment

The Applicant can review
these questions from her personal history: "What inspired you to
become a Leader?" "What do you hope to accomplish as a Leader?"
Remind yourself what inspired you to invite this special woman to begin
an application. Why do you hope to work with her as a co-Leader? Answers
to these key questions can inspire both of you to put ideas into actions
and move forward to accreditation. What does leadership and the organization
mean to you and the Applicant? Commitment means giving time as well
as interest and passion. It means implementing plans and turning dreams
into reality.

Connection

There are two relationships
each of you will forge during an application—one with each other,
the other with your A/CLA. Effective rapport involves communication
among and between you, the Applicant, and the LAD representative. An
important part of leadership and thus of preparation for this role is
to keep lines of communication open. If an application gets stuck, one
or both of these relationships may need attention.

Are you concerned about putting
too much pressure on the Applicant by setting meeting dates or asking
her how her writing is progressing? If you say nothing, will she think
you have lost interest in her preparation? Let her know you are interested.
Ask her what she needs from you to keep her motivated. When and how
often would she like to meet? Has she a problem or block with what she
perceives you are expecting of her? Talk with her about your common
goal to help mothers breastfeed as co-Leaders. Encourage her to express
her ideas during your discussion sessions. Could the Applicant be worried
that she has to be "like you" to be a Leader? If so, discuss
the value of diversity among LLL Leaders. Is she concerned about retrieving
answers to mothers’ questions "on the spot"? Let her
know that LLL provides Leaders with the resources—both written
and people—to give mothers up-to-date, accurate breastfeeding help.
The application forms part of her orientation to that learning.

Is the Applicant challenged
by the written requirements of an application? Would she like regular
reminders to write or help in getting started? Could you offer to spend
time with her toddler while she writes? Let her know that letters can
be sent in point form (lists, an outline, or note format rather than
complete sentences), typed or hand-written, by surface or possibly electronic
mail, and that the letters don’t need to be of professional caliber.

Sometimes the Applicant’s
problem is with her A/CLA. Was there a comment or a request in a letter
that halted the Applicant? Encourage her to let the A/CLA know how she
is feeling and to explore with the A/CLA what is troubling her. It may
be that what the A/CLA wrote touched a nerve for the Applicant and,
as a result, she feels judged. Developing and maintaining rapport—whether
it’s with the A/CLA now or co-Leaders later—often involves
expressing feelings and checking with the other person about what she
intended to say.

You can develop good rapport
with the A/CLA by communicating with her about what you and the Applicant
have been discussing. Contact your LAD representative any time with
questions, comments, or concerns you have about the Applicant’s
preparation for leadership.

Task Management

Task and time management
are about setting priorities. Does the Applicant attend meetings regularly
and is she reading? Encourage her to put some of her time and energy
into writing as well. Is writing difficult? Do meetings get put off?
It may be time to re-order your activities so that what is important
to the Applicant (and to you) rises to the top of your "to do"
list.

Many Leader Applicants are
absorbed by mothering a baby and/or a toddler; uninterrupted hours to
work on an application may never become available. But an Applicant
can accomplish her writing and reading in small chunks. Suggest to her
that she jot down thoughts as they occur. This can mean keeping paper
and pen in the kitchen, by a nursing chair, beside the bed, in the car,
or her purse or backpack. If the Applicant’s toddler likes to write
every time mother does, the Applicant can keep extra blank sheets handy
for her toddler. Some Applicants who use a computer like to keep an
(old) extra keyboard and mouse nearby for the toddler to "type"
too. An Applicant can also capitalize on times her spouse is available
to entertain the children while she works on her preparation.

Are you or the Applicant
too busy? Perhaps it is time to let some activities drop out of your
life. Has a temporary challenge, change, or crisis developed for the
Applicant? It may be appropriate to take a short formal break (up to
three months) from application work (please let your A/CLA know). Have
the Applicant’s priorities changed? She may not want to become
a Leader after all but thinks she will be letting you or LLL down by
stopping. Encourage her to be honest about her feelings. If leadership
preparation is not important any longer, discontinuing her application
removes pressure from everyone involved.

Momentum

Do you or the Applicant need
a push? Encourage the Applicant to set time lines for sending her letters
to the A/CLA (or ask the A/CLA to suggest them). With the Applicant,
set several dates right away, to meet over the coming months—and
stick to them. Suggest the Applicant put aside time segments in which
she will read a pamphlet, part of a book, or an article in a Leader
publication. Make a decision to write to update your A/CLA at times
that work for you, for instance each week; monthly when you send your
meeting report; or on the 1st and 15th of each month. The Applicant
can set goals such as these for herself too.

Keeping an application moving
requires commitment, effective communication, time management, and momentum.
Your A/CLA has a wealth of tips and resources to help and inspire you
and the Applicant to achieve your goals. When you work with a Leader
Applicant who reaches accreditation, you invest important time in LLL’s
future.

Julia Keeling was accredited
in 1982 and led Series Meetings with LLL Canada for 10 years. In 1985
she began working in the LAD. Presently she is the Administrator of
Leader Accreditation (ALA) for LLL Canada. Julia and her husband, David,
live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and have four children. This article
first appeared in LLL Canada’s Leader newsletter, Canadian Collage
February 2002 issue. Send articles for "Preparing for Leadership"
to Contributing Editor, Deb Roberts at: 86 Castle Ridge Court, Chanhassen,
Minnesota, USA, or robertsd at tcfreenet.org (email).